Richard J. C. Atkinson
Encyclopedia
Richard John Copland Atkinson CBE (22 January 1920 – 10 October 1994http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Obituary/1994/science.html) was a British
prehistorian and archaeologist.
, Dorset
and went to Sherborne School
and then Magdalen College, Oxford
, reading PPE
. During the Second World War his Quaker beliefs meant that he was a conscientious objector
; in 1944 he became Assistant Keeper of Archaeology at the Ashmolean Museum
. He also produced a theory on the creation of Stonehenge
.
He investigated sites including Stonehenge, Silbury Hill
, West Kennet Long Barrow
and Wayland's Smithy
, and was a friend and collaborator of Stuart Piggott and John F.S. Stone
. His Silbury work was part of an aborted BBC
documentary series on the monument. In 1949 he was appointed a lecturer at Edinburgh University, and in 1958 moved to University College, Cardiff to become its first professor of archeology. He remained at Cardiff until he retired in 1983. He served on the University Grants Committee
. He received the CBE
in 1979. Atkinson worked tirelessly to promote and develop science based British archaeology, and was famous for his practical contributions to archaeological technique and his pragmatic solutions to on-site problems, which were listed in the handbook he wrote called Field Archaeology.
Professor Richard Atkinson directed excavations at Stonehenge for the Ministry of Works between 1950 and 1964. Unfortunately because of an extremely heavy administrative burden arising from service on many committees throughout his career, including a period as Deputy Principal of University College, Cardiff, the written reports of the excavations at Stonehenge were not complete before serious illness, mainly caused by overwork, forced total retirement.
Not only might Atkinson be considered the Father of Modern British Field Archaeology, but he demonstrated that rare gift of professionalism that allowed him to publicly admit when he had made a major professional error in public.
Following his devastating critique in Antiquity, vol 40: 159, 1966 pp 212-216 with “Moonshine on Stonehenge”, of Gerald Hawkins 1965 book Stonehenge Decoded, Atkinson reversed his position in the face of intense research by A. Thom and associates, See Journal for the History of Astronomy vol 5 1974, etc.
This public retraction resulted from the extensive survey results of megalithic monuments and their alignments throughout Great Britain and Brittany that were published in a number of journals.
English Heritage
holds Atkinson's collection of over 2,000 record photographs in its public archive the National Monuments Record. A selection of around 200 photographs can be viewed online on the ViewFinder website.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
prehistorian and archaeologist.
Biography
He was born in EvershotEvershot
Evershot is a village in west Dorset, England, south of Yeovil. It is the second highest village in the county , the centre of the village lying at 175 metres above sea-level. The village has a population of 206...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
and went to Sherborne School
Sherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
and then Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, reading PPE
PPE
PPE may stand for:*Palmoplantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome*Park Place Entertainment, now part of Caesar's Entertainment*Personal protective equipment*Philosophy, Politics and Economics, an academic degree*Polyphenyl ether...
. During the Second World War his Quaker beliefs meant that he was a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
; in 1944 he became Assistant Keeper of Archaeology at the Ashmolean Museum
Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum...
. He also produced a theory on the creation of Stonehenge
Stonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
.
He investigated sites including Stonehenge, Silbury Hill
Silbury Hill
Silbury Hill is a prehistoric artificial chalk mound near Avebury in the English county of Wiltshire. It is part of the Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites UNESCO World Heritage Site, and lies at ....
, West Kennet Long Barrow
West Kennet Long Barrow
The West Kennet Long Barrow is a Neolithic tomb or barrow, situated on a prominent chalk ridge, near Silbury Hill, one-and-a-half miles south of Avebury in Wiltshire, England. The site was recorded by John Aubrey in the 17th century and by William Stukeley in the 18th century.Archaeologists...
and Wayland's Smithy
Wayland's Smithy
Wayland's Smithy is a Neolithic long barrow and chamber tomb site located near the Uffington White Horse and Uffington Castle, at Ashbury in the English county of Oxfordshire ....
, and was a friend and collaborator of Stuart Piggott and John F.S. Stone
J. F. S. Stone
John Frederick Smerdon Stone was a British archaeologist, most famous for his work in and around Wiltshire, especially at Stonehenge and the Woodhenge area....
. His Silbury work was part of an aborted BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary series on the monument. In 1949 he was appointed a lecturer at Edinburgh University, and in 1958 moved to University College, Cardiff to become its first professor of archeology. He remained at Cardiff until he retired in 1983. He served on the University Grants Committee
University Grants Committee (UK)
The University Grants Committee was an advisory committee of the British government, which advised on the distribution of grant funding amongst the British universities. It was in existence from 1919 until 1989...
. He received the CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1979. Atkinson worked tirelessly to promote and develop science based British archaeology, and was famous for his practical contributions to archaeological technique and his pragmatic solutions to on-site problems, which were listed in the handbook he wrote called Field Archaeology.
Professor Richard Atkinson directed excavations at Stonehenge for the Ministry of Works between 1950 and 1964. Unfortunately because of an extremely heavy administrative burden arising from service on many committees throughout his career, including a period as Deputy Principal of University College, Cardiff, the written reports of the excavations at Stonehenge were not complete before serious illness, mainly caused by overwork, forced total retirement.
Not only might Atkinson be considered the Father of Modern British Field Archaeology, but he demonstrated that rare gift of professionalism that allowed him to publicly admit when he had made a major professional error in public.
Following his devastating critique in Antiquity, vol 40: 159, 1966 pp 212-216 with “Moonshine on Stonehenge”, of Gerald Hawkins 1965 book Stonehenge Decoded, Atkinson reversed his position in the face of intense research by A. Thom and associates, See Journal for the History of Astronomy vol 5 1974, etc.
This public retraction resulted from the extensive survey results of megalithic monuments and their alignments throughout Great Britain and Brittany that were published in a number of journals.
English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
holds Atkinson's collection of over 2,000 record photographs in its public archive the National Monuments Record. A selection of around 200 photographs can be viewed online on the ViewFinder website.